Victoria Olohigocho Omachi

I was born and raised in North Central Nigeria, a region whose profound poverty and educational inequalities have shaped my worldview and calling. As a child, I watched how access to quality education carved pathways out of poverty for some, while a lack of it reinforced generational cycles for others. This reality planted in me the conviction that education is not simply a system but a lifeline.

Teachers have had the most impact on my life. Motivated by their influence, I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Pre-Primary and Primary Education (Social Studies) at Benue State University. My years at BSU were formative. In 2015, I placed in the top 10 of Nigeria’s Most Beautiful Girl pageant, representing Benue State. In 2016, I received the University’s Gender Advocate Prize. In 2017, I was recognized as a Woman on Fire (WOF) for my advocacy and work with Project Beautiful Benue, a non-profit supporting displaced women and children in Benue state.

In 2019, I joined Nextier Group as a Senior HR Analyst (Learning and Development), where I spent over five years designing workforce learning solutions, leading human capital development programs, and building performance management systems. Beneath these achievements was a growing desire to confront the structural barriers that prevent many children, especially girls and displaced persons, from accessing quality education.

In 2023, I deepened my commitment to education equity by earning a Master’s in Education Policy and Analysis at Harvard University. While at Harvard, I focused on global and international comparative education, co-chaired the student ambassadors at the Harvard Center for International Development, contributed to workforce policy development as a Workforce Policy Analyst with the Massachusetts Workforce Association, founded the HGSE African Policy Exchange Group, and led two international education conferences attended by Sierra Leone’s First Lady, African cabinet ministers, and 15 vice-chancellors across the continent. These engagements provided me with a front-row seat to both the promise and complexity of transforming education systems in low-income, middle-income, and fragile states.

Currently, I serve as a Learning and Development Analyst at the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where I design workforce training strategies, lead organizational development initiatives, and apply predictive analytics to strengthen government workforce capacity. I recently completed the World Bank’s Government Analytics Virtual Fellowship, where I further advanced my skills in public sector data analysis and government efficiency.

Beyond my professional work, I support Prof. Jacob Olupona at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University on Nigeria in the World Seminar Series, a forum that brings Nigeria into dialogue with global issues through conversations with experts and leaders across sectors. I also serve in the sanctuary unit of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chapel of Resurrection in Boston, sit on the board of the Scribble House Foundation, co-founded Kunfirm to support SMEs and the inclusion of informal sector actors in Nigeria, and serve as Executive Director of the Olohi Learning and Education Humanitarian Initiative.